Collect a membership list of at least 10 members or a petition of 100 students
who support the existence of the organization. For sports clubs, a list of at least
10 members must be submitted to the Recreational Sports Office.

Submit a letter to the Constitution Chairperson of the Student Assembly
demonstrating that this organization is ready to meet the following criteria:

A. Clear evidence that this group is necessary as a student organization at
Keene State College.

B. Proof that this group could not make use of any existing organization
similar in composition and purpose. It is strongly recommended that all
sports clubs affiliate with national organizations/associations.

C. If this organization intends to apply for funding from the Student Activity
Fee, it must:

be a nonprofit organization

be open to all Keene State College students

not discriminate on basis of sex, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, political affiliation, veteran or disability status

allow each student member of the organization or club to have one
vote in the election of all organization or club officers. This does not
preclude the formation of a nominating committee for positions that may require a certain amount of expertise. Any criteria for nomination shall be clearly objective, justifiable, and included in the organization's constitution (ratified by its members and the Student Assembly). Organization officers include, but are not limited to: President, Vice President, and Treasurer, or their equivalent. For a more detailed explanation, look at the Student
Activity Fee Policy, on file in the Student Government Office.

The name and address of a Keene State College faculty or staff member
who is willing to be an advisor for this organization. Every student
organization is required to have at least one advisor who serves as an
ex-officio member of that group.

Draft a Constitution according to Robert's Rules of Order and the supplemental
rules of the Student Government. Submit this draft to the Chairperson of the
Constitution Committee of the Student Assembly for review, at least three weeks
prior to final review by the Student Assembly. If this group is to be a local chapter
of a larger, national organization, the bylaws of this parent organization must
accompany the constitution, as well as any additional material which would better
explain the organization. Club sports must gain approval from the Recreational
Sports Office prior to submitting their constitution to the Student Assembly.

Upon review, the Constitution Chairperson will present the constitution to the
Assembly for passage, along with a recommendation for or against acceptance.

Upon approval of the constitution by the Student Assembly, the Student Center
Administrative Office requires the submission of the "New Student Organization Information Sheet". This should be turned into the Director of Student Involvement
within 3 days of official recognition.

Upon approval of the constitution by the Student Assembly, the organization must exist for a period of fourteen (14) academic weeks as an active organization. Academic weeks are the periods of time from Monday to Friday during the Fall and Spring Semesters. After such time, they are eligible to submit a budget to the Finance Committee of the Student Assembly. "Active Organization" shall be defined by the purpose of the organization as stated in their constitution and by the policies of the Student Assembly.

Active student organization defined:

An active student organization is required to have at least 10 active members (10 also for a sports club), or a petition supporting the organization's existence signed by 100 students of the College. Note: Definition of an Active Member is a student who attends and participates in at least 50% of your activities/meetings.

This organization or club sport must have regularly scheduled meetings at least once a month.

It must submit a list of active members to the Student Assembly Constitution Committee, and the Recreational Sports Office for sports clubs, at least once a month.

It must comply with the requirements set forth by the Student Assembly Treasurer regarding monthly and quarterly reports.

Sports clubs must also comply with all Recreational Sports requirements.

Inactive student organization defined:

A student organization shall be considered inactive when any ONE (or more) of the conditions set forth in (a. 1-4) above is not met for a period of three academic semesters or 42 academic weeks (if period starts mid-semester).

The Student Assembly Constitution Committee shall have the
responsibility of reviewing evidence for the purpose of declaring an
organization inactive, to include any evidence presented by the
organization under consideration.

Upon classification as an inactive student organization, all organization funds shall be transferred to the Student Government Contingency Account.

Reactivating process:
In order for an organization declared inactive to reactivate, the same process
must be followed as if it were a new student organization, to include the
probationary period without Student Assembly funding.

Student Organizations NOT receiving funds are exempt from these
provisions.

If the proposed constitution is not approved by the Student Assembly, it
may be resubmitted to the Constitution Committee for further examination.

Upon recognition, the organization must meet the following specific
criteria:

Limit voting membership to the students of Keene State College.

Non-voting members may be Keene State College faculty, staff, or
members outside the college community.

Maintain a membership composed of at least 75 percent students.

Executive board officers must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or
higher and be in good standing with the College.

Sustain an active membership of at least 10 members. Submit a list of
all members (active and inactive) to the Student Assembly with the
quarterly financial reports.

Retain a Keene State College faculty or staff member as an advisor.

Submit all changes in constitution and by-laws to the Student Assembly
two weeks after the ratification by the active membership.

Submit all financial and monthly activity reports to the Treasurer of the
Student Assembly on time. Copies will be on file in the Student
Government Office.

All officer and membership rosters are to be submitted at the beginning
of each semester to the Student Center Administrative Office.
If any or all of these conditions are not met, the Student Assembly shall be
empowered to suspend recognition of a student organization and the
accompanying privileges, as stated in their constitution and Keene State
College policies. Any existing organization in violation of the requirements
for recognition has 24 academic days in which to rectify violations after
written notification from the Constitution Committee. This grace period
may be extended by the Constitution Committee for an additional 12
academic days, for a total of 36 academic days, in cases of extenuating
circumstances. Academic days occur in the regular Fall and Spring
semesters of the academic year.

Organizations not in compliance with College policies and procedures will
go through a judicial process, which could result in a warning, probation,
suspension, or disaffiliation.

Administrative Warning. The administrative warning is issued to an
organization when it has violated a minor component of the Relationship
Statement, failed to comply with any administrative requirements/acts
issued by the Director of Student Involvement or engaged in a behavior
which negatively affects the reputation of the College. Normally, an
organization will receive no more than one administrative warning per
academic year before the imposition of penalties; organizations under any
previous administrative sanctions may be subject to penalties without a
warning.

Administrative Probation. Administrative probation indicates that an
organization is not in good standing with the College for a specific period
of time. During the probationary period, any other violation of the
Relationship Statement, act of non-compliance, or behavior that negatively
affects the reputation of the College may result in more serious sanctions
(i.e., suspension or disaffiliation).

Suspension. Suspension indicates that an organization, by its own actions,
has forfeited the privilege of being a Recognized Student Organization. Some,
or all, privileges bestowed by the College to a Recognized Student Organization
will be suspended until such time as the suspension period has ended.

Disaffiliation. Disaffiliation indicates that an organization's status as a
Recognized Student Organization has been discontinued completely. All
privileges provided to a Recognized Student Organization are forfeited.
Disaffiliation may be issued permanently, or an organization may be
permitted to re-apply for recognition after a period of time no less than
five years. (See the College Judicial Code in the Student Handbook.)

There shall not be more than one officially recognized student group whose
function and purpose distinguishes it from other groups at Keene State College.
Each student organization shall have a function and purpose which distinguish
it from all other groups at Keene State College.

A recognized student organization may use the name of the College, insofar
as it is affiliated with a unit of the College. Such a group may refer to itself as
the "Keene State College (name of the group)."

Keene State College does not accept responsibility for the independent,
private, or unofficial activities of a recognized student organization.

While recognition is a requirement for application for funds from Student
Activity Fee, it is not an entitlement. Student Government may develop
additional criteria beyond recognition for such allocations.

Constitution Format

Article I: Name
State what the organization will be called.

Article II: Purpose
State what the organization will do to fulfill the needs of the individuals who
may join. Do not be general or too specific. EXAMPLE: The purpose of_______is to
broaden the horizons of intellectual reasoning through reading, writing, and
studying various published works.

Article III: Membership
State who will be allowed in the organization and how they will be admitted,
i.e. pledging or attending a specific number of meetings. There should be a
section on who will have voting privileges while in the organization. Voting
privileges are for Keene State College students.

Article IV: Officers
State what positions are to be filled by the active members such as president,
vice president, secretary and treasurer. State what each person must do while
holding this position. Officers must maintain a 2.0 GPA during the majority of
term served (more than a semester).

Article V: Elections
Indicate what time of the year elections will occur and who is eligible to run
for office. Indicate what will happen in case of a tie or resignation from office,
such as a special election at the next regular meeting or some other time.

Article VI: Meetings
State when this organization will have its regularly scheduled meeting such as
once a week, once a year, etc. Include a section on what type of quorum will
be needed to conduct business i.e. two-thirds of active members, majority of
those in attendance, etc. State if special meetings are allowed and by whom
they will be arranged. State if meetings are to be run by Robert's Rules of
Order.

Article VII: Finances
State if the members are required to pay dues or if the organization requests
to be funded by the Student Government, and that you will follow the Financial
Policies and Procedures of the Student Assembly and Student Center Office.

Article VIII: Recall
State whether or not a person can be expelled from the group by meeting
specific criteria such as not paying dues, etc.

Article IX: Amendments
The organization can only accept amendments if there has been precious
notice of such changes and if there is a two-thirds majority vote in favor of the
amendment. Any amendment must also be approved by the Student Assembly.
Include at this time, any information other than what has been stated which
you feel is important to this organization such as standing committees, etc.

Article X: Ratification
State the manner in which the Constitution shall be ratified.

Bylaws

An organization is not required to establish bylaws. If your organization wishes
to draw up bylaws, here are some guidelines:

Detailed material concerning members, that is rights, duties, resignation
and expulsion procedures. Provisions for honorary or associate members or
honorary officers if the group so desires.

Provision for initiation fees, if any dues and assessments should be covered here, also details regarding delinquencies.

Time and method of electing officers and duties of the officers (if you have
this in the bylaws, you need only include a list of the officers and terms of
office in the constitution).

Duties, authority, and responsibilities of an executive committee.

The names of the standing committees and the method of choosing the
chairperson and committee members. The duties of the committee should also be stated.

A provision for some accepted rules of order or parliamentary manual as
Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.

The number or proportion of the group constituting a quorum.

A method to amend the bylaws, usually a majority vote.
Amending the constitution should not be too simple a process, for the sake of
stability of the group. It should be possible to amend the bylaws with greater
ease. The constitution should always carry the date it was last revised. It is a
good idea to insert in parentheses after an amendment the date it was passed.